Nastech has developed and tested an intranasal formulation of interferon-beta-1a
suitable for initial human clinical testing for the treatment of multiple
sclerosis. An in vitro screening method was successfully employed
to identity a candidate intranasal formulation of interferon-beta-1a.
An early human clinical study suggested that there was about 20-25 percent
bioavailability for this formulation. Ongoing work has identified
an improved formulation.